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Authentic material for elementary students.

I'm new to English teaching (half-way through the CELTA) and it's difficult for me to predict how much elementary sts can understand. I'm thinking of using "Your name, sir" sketch by Fry and Laurie in my authentic material lesson for elementary sts. Parts of it will certainly go over their heads, but they should be able to get the gist of what's going on (asking for name / adress and the absurd answers).
I also understand that in authentic material lesson sts do not have to understand every single item of vocab/grammar, and that it is the task that should be fitted for their level, not the material. However, I'm worried that they will not enjoy the sketch because of the parts they cannot understand. I find it difficult to put myself in their position and imagine whether it can be funny for them at all.
Another thing is, I would not want to hand out the scripts as most of the text is what they cannot understand (parts spoken very fast, in advanced Engish).
So I guess my questions are:
1) Is there a chance to make a successfull and fun elementary lesson with this material, given the tasks will be on their level?
2) Would it be appropriate to hand out only a partial script (say, as a gap-fill exercise), and omit the difficult parts?

Re: Authentic material for elementary students.

Originally Posted by Ulybin

1) Is there a chance to make a successfull and fun elementary lesson with this material, given the tasks will be on their level? YES, a chance
2) Would it be appropriate to hand out only a partial script (say, as a gap-fill exercise), and omit the difficult parts? POSSIBLY

Not the helpful answers you probably hoped for, I am afraid. The trouble is that so much depends on the teacher, the students - and the weather. I have seen trainees taking to an elementary class materials that I would not have dared use with an intermediate class - and producing brilliant lesssons. I have also seen trainees fail dismally with infallible materials.

One great thing about CELTA and similar courses is that you have a chance to experiment. If the experiment does not work, the worst that can happen is a low grade on that TP assignment - and if your feedback on yourself is perceptive and constructive for the future, then your grade might not be as low as you had feared.

Re: Authentic material for elementary students.

Tdol - this is for my assignment 3, a lesson based on an authentic material, which I will use in the 4th week. I'll have known students for almost two weeks by then. I'm asking about it now because the 3rd week is known to be a killer and I want to do a chunk of assignment 3 this weekend.

Actually your reply is very helpful, fivejedjon.
The thing is, I want the assignment 3 to be meaningful to me, by that I mean - to do this lesson with a real class and to get a professional feedback for it. This also means, I need a real reason to use the authentic material: if I just pick some holiday advertisements and make a lesson about planning a holiday, then I could use a coursebook just as well, which would destroy the personal aim of using an authentic material.
I suppose all I needed was a bit of encouragement, and I'm happy I got it. Off to plan tasks.
Thank you guys. :)

Re: Authentic material for elementary students.

Sounds fair enough to me.

I am relieved that you are not doing this for the reason I so often heard from trainees: I love this sketch, so I know my students will love it. Trainees with that approach had often not considered whether the material might be relevant to the learning needs of their students, or whether the structures and lexis were within their grasp.

You appear to have considered these matters. I wish you luck.

And, if your lesson is not particularly successful, it will have been a useful learning experience for you.

And to those who ask' "But what about the poor students?", my response is: Students in CELTA TP lessons know they are being taught by inexperienced teachers. They very often pay little or nothing for such lessons. They are prepared to take the risk of being taught badly in return for cheap access to English.

It is of course important that trainees have thought seriously about the needs of the students (even if, as beginners, they don't always satisfy those needs).

Normally lessons are there for the students, not the teacher. However, on a training course, observed lessons ultimately exist for the trainee's benefit.

Re: Authentic material for elementary students.

Thank you, I posted the lesson plan in the Sharing lessons thread. I would greatly appreciate some feedback. If you think the lesson is worth sharing, I will bug somebody (Tdol?) to get it posted here. :)